Congress attacks govt for neglecting tribals

Hyderabad: The Congress party has hit out at the TRS alleging that the government was acting in a negligent manner towards tribals. Stating that the undivided AP had 1/70 Act for tribals party spokesperson Bellaiah Naik claimed that the Act was not being implemented in Telangana.

He alleged that the government was transferring tribal employees to other places in the name of implementing GO317. "The government was acting as traitor."

Recalling the CM's promise to sign on a file to provide 10 per cent reservations to tribals, Naik stated that KCR had not honoured it. Stating that the tribal population in the State was 9.9 percent, he asked the CM as to why he was not implementing reservations in proportion to their population.

He said the commission constituted by the CM had submitted its report five year back; but the government has not acted on it. Naik questioned Minister Satyavati Rathod for stating that tribals don't believe the Congress party and sought to know which party won tribal Assembly seats. He made it clear that tribals were with the Congress, adding that the party had won two MP and 12 Assembly seats with the support of tribals.

He also said the party had included the Lambada community in the ST list. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naik asked the latter if he had introduced an Act for tribals of the State. He said the Centre was forced to bring back the SC, ST Act following a fight by party leader Rahul Gandhi. The party had won 47 tribals seats in Parliament and bagged ST seats in Chhattisgarh, MP and Rajasthan.